Fosse à purin

[Stuart]

Have just started the buying process on a house in the Bresse. Am slightly concerned that the house is not connected to the mains or a fosse septique, but to a "fosse à purin". We have been assured that this is perfectly normal and that the system works well but it all seems rather basic and a bit dodgy to me. Has anyone out there got a similar system? Does it do the job effectively? Is there anything to beware of? Any advice welcome.

Stuart

[The Riff-Raff Element]

This is the same as a fosse d'aisances I think - in other words, a

cesspit. I would be careful to go and talk to the Mairie and to your

local DDE just in case you as the new purchaser are expected to replace

it with an up-to-date septic tank system: I dimly recall hearing of

someone having to do this.

As far as operation goes, they need emptying regularly (how regularly

depends on usage; it is done once they are full), but are generally not

too smelly or troublesome. I'm not sure these days that they would be

described as "normal" but maybe that depends on whereabouts in France

one is.

[Missy]

A 'fosse à purin' is the farmyard's septic tank where all the run-off from the animals goes to, where all the sippage off the silage is channelled. Then the 'purin' is often spread onto the fields as fertiliser.... so if the house is connected to that!...  it means there is no 'human' septic tank and it's asking a whole lot more trouble than you care to get yourself into.....

[Stuart]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'd better get in touch with the local Mairie for some more guidance.